NFL legend Shannon Sharpe has claimed that LeBron James was unhappy about deferring to Austin Reaves last season. Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick put James in an unexpected No. 3 option role amid Reaves’ explosive start to the season. Reaves produced All-Star numbers while James recovered from sciatica and missed the first few weeks.
With the Lakers’ rhythm looking better in James’ absence, Redick made the bold call, and his veteran superstar obliged. On Thursday, while discussing the San Antonio Spurs as a potential landing spot for James, Sharpe said on his podcast that the 41-year-old is unlikely to defer to Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, citing his alleged dissatisfaction with the Lakers.
“He’ll [LeBron James] probably never admit this publicly, he was not happy with that third option,” Sharpe said on his show, Night Cap. “He does not believe that Austin Reaves was a better player than him. He will concede Luka [Doncic]. I don’t believe he’ll ever concede Austin Reaves.”
Sharpe clarified that James still “loves” Reaves, but he won’t accept that he is willingly deferring to the player he helped develop and has yet to solidify himself as a bona fide star.
It will be interesting to see how the Lakers prioritize their free agency moves, as LeBron James and Austin Reaves will likely expect contracts close to the max. Rumors suggest James is mulling retirement or moving on from Los Angeles, too. Reaves, meanwhile, could generate interest from cap space teams.
Insider reports there’s a 60% chance LeBron James and Austin Reaves are both back on Lakers
NBA insider Sam Amick reported on Thursday that LeBron James and Austin Reaves returning together on the Lakers is not a surefire certainty. He said on FanDuel TV that there’s a 6-out-of-10 chance the Lakers pull that off.
“I think if Austin gets paid in a way that keeps him in town, then there’s not enough money for LeBron to feel respected, and then I could see him going up the coast and maybe doing the Warriors thing,” Amick said on the Run It Back show.
According to Warriors insider Anthony Slater, Golden State is willing to offer LeBron James the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception (MLE) if his deal with the Lakers doesn’t work out.
From a money perspective, that deal would make sense for James. However, it’s unlikely that he comes near a fifth championship if he heads to Golden State. His chances of doing so with the Lakers remain better, even if it comes at the cost of playing on a much lower salary than the non-taxpayer MLE.
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